MERLIN AND THE YOUNG SQUIRES: FOOTNOTES
1 ledde, experienced.
2 abode, waited upon.
4 of, by.
5 be, by.
6 ese, ease.
7 moste, must.
8-9 nought for that, not because.
9 pereile, peril.
10 do yow to wite, want you to know; beth, are.
11 to many, too many [invaders].
12 her, their.
13 moo, more.
15 departed, divided; oo, one.
16 yede upon, went against.
18 hadde i-be, had occurred.
19 discounfitures, fierce encounters.
20 asege, besiege.
24 cleped, called.
25 do yow to wete, want you to know; but, unless.
27 be take but, be defeated unless.
29 nothir hider ne thider, neither here nor there, i. e., nowhere.
31 yef, if.
34 noon evell, no ill will.
36 er than, before.
37 comaunde, commend.
38 thens, thence.
39 than, then.
42 seth, since.
42-43 were fallen to, had befallen.
48 meyné, army; logged, encamped.
52 seth, since.
54 that, [and then] that.
55 trussed theire harneys, readied their gear.
56 so as thei, just like those.
57 fonde not of whom, found no one.
58 brent, burned.
59 ne wiste no worde, knew nothing; blusshed, came.
60 dessevered on, separated into.
61 noon hem ne letted of the pray, no one stopped them from taking the booty.
63 childeren, young warriors.
65 tho, those.
66 eiled, ailed.
68 than, then.
74 what wey stondeth, which way is.
75 right well, perfectly.
77 dureth wele, i.e., stretches for.
80 as armes, to arms.
82 bere nought, take nothing; be, by; dere solde, dearly bought.
83 hem thourgh, through them.
84 be, by; mystere, skill.
85 do on, put on.
87 coiffes, hoods of mail.
89 seche, seek.
89-90 renged clos, gathered closely.
90 on a sop as starlinges, as starlings on a piece of bread.
93-94 were fallen seth, had occurred since.
96 cote, coat; moche, tall; courbed, bent over.
97 entermedled, mixed.
98-99 drof gret foyson of beestes, drove a great many beasts.
101 here, hear; yede, went.
104 whiche, what; lese, lose.
107 sowle, soul.
108 very, true.
109 man, one.
110 dispitousely, pitifully; martired, put to death; defaute, lack.
111 carl, rustic fellow.
113 he, i.e., Gawain.
114 kepe, protect; wiste, knew.
117 karll, rustic; cleped, called; high, loud.
118 hedir, here; thow aylest, troubles you.
119 regratynge, lamenting.
121 leide, put his hand; as, as if.
124 waymented, lamented; bestes, animals.
128 Certeys, Surely.
130 angwisshouse, anxious.
131 waymented, lamented.
132 Howe, Stop.
134 in travers, the other way; as, as if.
135 eftesoones, again; lefte, raised.
136 lothly, ugly; rivelid, shriveled.
138 wilt thow, do you want.
139 nerre, nearer.
140 diche, dry moat.
141 will, wish.
142 whi that, why; what, who; regreted, lamented.
143 graunte, promise.
144 delyver, rescue.
147 wite, know.
148 what, who.
151 ayen, against; contened, fought.
153 what be thei, who are they.
158 ne, nor; Netherdeles, Nevertheless.
159 avaunte, boast.
160 emprise, enterprise.
163 sue, follow.
165 what oon what other, all told.
166 ther, where.
167 childeren, youths.
168 thinge, i.e., purpose; formest, in front; theras, to where.
169 neyhed nygh, came near.
171 hem, them (Saxons).
172 prowesse, deeds.
175 as, as if; be, been; see, sea.
177 perce thourgh, break through; so, such.
178 raught, struck.
179 durst, dared.
180 launched to, hurled at; gleyves, lances.
181 that, unless.
182 but as, except that.
184 kepte hem, held them; short and streite, tightly together; noon, none; felly, fiercely.
188 ne hadde, had not.
190 stour, battle; mischief, danger.
191 shofte, thrust.
193 contene, fight.
194 renge, field.
195 wratthed, angered.
196 fonde, found.
199 moche, large.
200 araught, struck; warant, protected.
204 what, who.
205 delyverly, quickly; myster, need.
206 renged, grouped; lete renne, charged.
208 agein, against; of, by.
210-11 withoute hem, not counting those.
211 brente, burned.
212 saugh, saw; felly, fiercely.
215 iyen, eyes.
217 plites, folds.
221 Saisne, Saxon; wende, intended.
222 douted, feared.
225 cercle, helmet band.
226 chyne, backbone; he, i.e., Orienx; blusht, fell.
227 drof, fell.
229 heed fley, head flew.
230 at, on.
231 environ, around.
232 presse, fray; stonyed of, stunned from.
233 ne meve no membre, nor move any limb.
234 lothly chere, terrible looks; so hidouse semblant, such a hideous appearance; wende, thought.
235 doell, mourning.
239 yef, if; be, by.
242 wiste, knew.
244 salvde, greeted; deboner, gracious.
246 seth that, since.
247 repeyre, abide; what, who.
250 not elles, no reason.
254 what abide ye, why do you tarry.
255 worle, tumult.
257 so grete foison, so many.
260 and hit, if it.
261 go we hens, [let us] go hence.
262 streite, tightly.
264 entended, attended.
265 disturdison, [his] distress.
268 acooley, blow.
269 aquyte, pay back.
270 wende, thought.
271 were go thens, had gone hence.
272 ensigne, flag-bearer.
274 oon ne abode not, one did not wait for.
277 nyghed nygh to atteyne, nearly reached; Cristin, Christians.
278 than, when; yeve, given.
279 hasted sore, urged; tother, others.
280 gretter paas, faster pace.
280-81 were sore hasted, had to hurry.
283 harneys, gear; heirde, herdsman.
285 over charged, knocked down.
286 nas, was not any; durste, dared.
287 wheras as, where; ne, nor.
291 chielde, youth (knight).
292 rought litill, cared little.
293 restreyne, stop.
294 wight and delyver, quick and agile.
295 flat, i.e., the side of the ax.
296 wiste, knew; heilde, held.
297 astoned, stunned.
300-01 berafte, cut off.
301 caught, grabbed.
304 cours, charge.
305 rested upon, set upon; have take, capture.
306 suffre, allow.
307 tho, those.
308 slough, slew.
309 stered, conducted.
312 diffouled, trampled.
313 tobrosed, bruised.
314 saf, except.
315 be, by; seth, since; remeved, departed.
316 delyverly, freely.
318 a softe paas, an easy pace.
320 disturdison, his distress.
321 wode, crazed.
322 bailly, custody; do hem be flain all quyk, have them skinned alive.
323 full fell pawtener, terrible fellow.
325 bailly, custody.
326 warantise, protect.
332 remeve, move.
333 walop, gallop.
334 yoven, given.
339 evell, poorly; demened, conducted yourselves.
341 come yow, i.e., give you; foulé, foully.
343 chivalries, fine deeds; yoven, given.
344 that1, so that.
345 theras, when.
349 repress, disgrace.
351 shamefest, ashamed; mate, dejected.
352 nadde, had not.
353 felon, a horrible.
356 yates, gates.
358 hooll, whole.
360 arson, bow.
363 stynte for, refused; conjured, begged.
365 what it, who he.
367 wend, thought.
369 seth, since.
370 saf, except for.
371 trowe, believe; paraventure, perhaps.
372 seche, seek.
373 yef, if.
374 for defaute, by default.
376 knave, youth.
381 drough, drew; yates, gates.
383 talent, desire.
387 wherfore, why.
389 of oon and other, by everyone.
391 bounté, ability.
392 moche, large.
397 agein, against.
MERLIN AND THE YOUNG SQUIRES: NOTES
Merlin and the Young Squires
[Fols. 90r (line 12)-103v (line 29)]
Making considerable use of his shape-shifting abilities, Merlin tests the mettle of the Young Squires; Gawain, in particular, proves himself up to the challenge. Here Sir Sagremor, who has come all the way from Constantinople to be knighted by Arthur, establishes himself as one of the best young knights within the group also.
87-88 lefte theire palfreyes and lepe upon stedes. Here the young knights exchange their riding horses (their palfreys) for their warhorses (their steeds).
Summary Based on EETS 21, pp. 271-95.